A contract extension agreement before the start of the regular season is reportedly not in the cards for Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks, according to The Athletic.
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The 27-year-old Young can become a free agent next summer as he enters the final guaranteed season of his current deal.
The four-time NBA All-Star will make $46 million this season and has a $49 million player option for 2026-27. Should he decline the option he will hit unrestricted free agency. He’s currently eligible for a four-year, $229 million extension.
At Hawks media day last month, Young downplayed any contract talk and said he was focused on the upcoming season.
“I don’t know [about] the word disappointment. I mean, maybe, for sure,” Young said, via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “For me, I’m so focused. I’m more happy about the team that we got going into this season. I’m blessed, bro. I wasn’t stressing about anything. If something happened, it happened. If it didn’t, I still got time.”
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young could become a free agent next summer as there’s been no progress on contract extension talks between the players and team. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images)
In trying to improve their on-court fortunes and to keep Young happy enough to extend, the Hawks went out and acquired Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to complement Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Onyeka Okongwu
Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh is making a push for improvement this season after the team failed to advance out of the play-in round in each of the past two seasons. Along with Young, Porziņģis and Kennard can become free agents next summer.
Then there’s the 22-year-old Daniels, last season’s Most Improved Player, NBA steals leader and All-Defensive Team member who averaged 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.0 steals per game. He is able to sign an extension, but only until Oct. 20. No agreement before then means he’s eligible to become a restricted free agent in the summer.
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